The Secret Fractures of Snow Villiers
by Blamnie
Summary: He didn't crave perfection, no, not anymore. Instead he pined for grief, for friction, for hostility and heat. Lightning/Snow.
1. A Drunk

_**A/N:** Hey everyone! So this is my very first Final Fantasy fanfic, wooooot!_

_Okay, so I'm a relatively new but HUGE fan of the Snow and Lightning pairing, they have such amazing chemistry that I couldn't help but fall in love with them. I do actually love Serah, she's amazing, but she is much better off with Noel._

_I started to write this because there just isn't enough SnowxLight love out there, seriously, there's only five pages, wtf? But every fic about them that I have read so far has been absolutely top notch and set the bar really high, I only hope that I can try to match up to it. So here is my contribution to the fandom._

_This was originally intended to be a oneshot, however, due to the length I've divided it into five parts._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing….._

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><p><span>The Secret Fractures of Snow Villiers<span>

_Snow Villiers was a drunk_

The red digits of her bedside alarm clock glowed an angry red. They were met by a stone cold blue stare. It was 3.52am. Why the hell hadn't _they_ gone to sleep yet? Lightning took a deep, calm breath as she rose a shaky hand to her face. She tenderly rubbed her skilled fingers over her closed eyes; hoping to somehow sooth the dry, itchy pain within them. It had become an unwelcome symptom of her involuntary bout of insomnia. Her pink tongue quickly darted out of her mouth to moisten her parched lips as she took a few seconds to contemplate her next move.

Unfortunately, staring at the ceiling was not the answer; the pale tiles above her could offer her no peace of mind. Yet there was something so alluringly calming about those dull, bland colours, something that was tugging on her tired limbs and lulling her back to sleep. Just as her eyelids fluttered closed and her breathing steadied to a peaceful rhythm; Snow Villiers's voice boomed once again though the adjacent wall.

Lightning couldn't stifle the feral growl she unleashed in retaliation. Apparently she didn't deserve sleep. Apparently the grand adventure she had embarked upon in order to bring back Serah Farron hadn't been enough of an ordeal. Why couldn't they allow her just this one simple pleasure. She hadn't asked for any kind of reward or gratification for the sacrifices she had made on their tremendous journey, no, and she never would. Just the knowledge that Serah was safe and sound was enough.

Naturally, the restoration of the younger Farron sister had sparked the spirit of celebration to ignite in the brave, valiant members of the team that had fought so hard to free her from her crystallised state. Though there was a bittersweet sorrow that lingered in the air from the harsh sacrifice made by Fang and Vanille; the team continued to rejoice in their honour. The party had somehow followed them back to the Farron household, their numbers slowly dissipating along the way. A dulling party eventually left only Lightning, Serah and a heavily inebriated Snow Villiers lounging around the living room. The older sister had been keeping a watchful eye on the broad, blonde for the entirety of the evening. She was well aware that his right hand had not been without a beverage since the festivities had began several hours ago. Lightning did not need the gift of clairvoyance to see that this could only result in some sort of domestic dispute for the young couple; since Serah didn't drink and Snow wasn't exactly the reserved, introverted type.

Just as they had decided to wind down and begin to retire to their respective rooms for some hard earned rest, Villiers had not been so willing for the party to end. Lightning knew this much as his hefty frame had engulfed the entirety of her slight figure in a tight embrace. The pink haired woman had attempted to excuse herself before she became incapacitated by his surprise attack. In his intoxicated mind it was an appropriate, albeit impulsive, display of his gratitude. Though Snow's gesture was purely the result of his over-ambitious loving and good willed nature, fuelled by the incomprehensible amount of alcohol he had consumed; it had ultimately earned him a fierce blow as she jammed her elbow into his gut and hissed a enraged threat into his ear. Lightning had never exactly been the touchy, feely type and she wasn't about to make exceptions, especially not when it came down to Villiers.

And now she found herself lying motionlessly in a tangled array of her own bed sheets in her dim abode. She lay still, gazing up at the ceiling in a brief moment of silence. She couldn't stop an annoyed groan which vibrated across her lips as she realised that she was unwillingly waiting for the next outburst from the room next door. As if like clockwork, Snow's voice once again cut through the quiet night air with the impact and volume of a bull horn. A few seconds of silence fell in-between before Serah's soft, pleading voice was heard in protest.

They were still arguing.

Lightning exhaled heavily in frustration before forcing both of her palms against her mattress and pushing her body to an upright position. Her eyelashes fluttered a few more times as her pale blue eyes scanned the dark lines of her bedroom. Her ever-cautious nature compelled her to always survey her surroundings, despite there not being any signs of immediate danger. She inwardly cussed herself for being such a stubborn creature of habit. Yet another outburst from Villiers prompted Lighting to angrily fling the sheets from her bare legs and plant her feet firmly on the carpeted floor. Another tired groan escaped from the young woman's mouth as she hastily made a determined stride in the direction of her bedroom door. She violently jostled and twisted the door knob before swinging it back and slamming it behind her in an act to emphasize her outward displeasure.

The older Farron sister continued en route to her large living area, casually flicking the light switch on her way passed it. She glanced back at Serah's bedroom door for a few seconds as she was sure that she could make out her young sister's low voice behind it. Lightning supposed that Serah's blatant sincerity and sickly-sweetness was what drew so many people to her. She was such a serene young soul who never dared to raise her voice, never spoke bad of anyone, never picked a single fight. Lightning envied her for that. Yet despite Serah Farron's calm domineer, the domestic dispute with her fiancé still roared on. If it were Lightning who was in the current predicament; both herself and Snow would have come to blows a long time ago. What the hell was wrong with Villiers anyway? Only hours ago he had promised to do everything he possibly could to make Serah happy. He had spent so much time shameless begging for her older sister's blessing like a puppy at feeding time; yet now he was just screwing everything up for no good reason. So much for a fairytale romance.

Whilst making herself comfortable on the sofa, Lightning began to contemplate a trek to the kitchen to turn on her faithful coffee machine. She raised a hand to her face once again, hoping to shake away the sleep which threatened to gather in the corners of her eyes and lull her back into a broken snooze. However, the sudden click from Serah's door was enough of a disturbance for her to quickly return to her usual offensive mindset and brace herself for whatever it was that she was bound to get dragged into.

The shuffling sound of heavy feet on the floor signalled Snow's arrival as his hefty frame lingered in the open doorway for a few moments. There he was, the bane of her life. His roguish blonde hair falling over his flustered face, his shirt creased, stained and unbuttoned low enough to reveal most of his chest. His stance was unbalanced as he stumbled forward and closed the door behind him; clinging onto the handle for a few seconds longer than necessary, feeling comforted by the little extra stability that it offered him.

As soon as his bloodshot eyes met with Lightning's stony cold ones, the tension in the room began to thicken. He glared at her, no, not _glared_, he _leered _at her, like she was his pray. Snow then shuffled his feet along the floor as he slowly made uneven strides towards the kitchen. Lightning refused to snatch her eyes away from him, her eyebrows furrowed into a scowl and she instinctively rose her hands to cover her scantily clad form. The night was warm and had lead her to chose less-than-demure sleepwear. She hadn't exactly thought that the exposed skin of her legs and chest would cause such a stir; but the way that Snow had dragged his eyes over her body made her instantly want to cover up.

The brutish blonde had disappeared from sight and the only indication that he was still in the house came from the noisy sounds of rattling and fumbling echoing from the kitchen. Lightning eagerly watched and waited for his return. She could somehow find the strength within herself to overlook his drunken behaviour, it would be a struggle, but she would manage to bite her tongue. However, she expected at least an explanation from him; he owed her that much.

Eventually, Villiers stumbled back into the living room accompanied by yet another bottle of beer. Lightning rolled her eyes in retaliation and let out a deep sigh of disproval. Snow's eyes returned to her once again, tracing the lines of her body in an inappropriate manor. The older Farron sister bit down hard on her lower lip to keep herself from launching into a vicious verbal attack. Instead she hastily reached for a magazine which lay to her right and fingered through the pages absentmindedly, anything to distract herself from Snow.

Lightning struggled to contain herself again as she felt the blonde man take an unwelcome seat next to her on the couch. She casually licked her thumb before returning her hand to the pages in her lap as she flicked through each one in a highly aggravated fashion. _Why wasn't he talking?_ Lightning slowly tilted her head in his direction, glaring at Snow through peach coloured bangs. He was just sitting there, nonchalantly slipping the amber liquid as if nothing had happened. Eventually his tired eyes found Lightning's as he caught sight of the vicious look she was sending his way. He managed to pry the bottle away from his lips for a few moments.

"What?" He cockily questioned, tilting his head, his one free hand was held out in defence.

Defusing tense situations such as this one was more of a task which fell into Sazh's more empathetic capabilities. Claire 'Lightning' Farron was a woman of action, known for her physical strength and short temper, not for her tact or emotional diligence. She rolled her eyes in response to his query and silently retained the desire to force her fist into his smug face. Instead she turned her attention back to the magazine, quietly and calmly mumbling her answer.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

He had already lifted himself from the sofa before Lightning even had a chance to react. His large arm tensed as he hoisted the beer bottle back over his shoulder and violently threw it into the wall ahead of him. The brown glass shattered against the rigid surface causing the content of the bottle to pool on the floor.

In a speed similar to her namesake, Lightning had launched herself from the couch and yanked the collar of Snow's shirt tightly in her balled fists. She violently tugged him towards her.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She snarled through clenched teeth before untangling her first to push her palms into his chest. She shoved him back with brute force, watching him stumble slightly over the vacant air behind him. Lightning strode forward with violent intent; ready to ram her hands into him again.

"…I don't know…" Was the only feasible response that his inebriated mind could muster in his hazy, disoriented state.

Blinded by her own range, Lightning launched yet another attack, thrusting herself forward so that she could knock Villiers down to the floor. However, her plan soon diminished when her firsts were caught by Snow's large, skilled hands as he quickly restricted her movement. Given the man's intoxicated state, Lightning wasn't expecting such a concisely executed block and let out a slight yelp in shock. His hands then quickly released hers and slipped down her forearms to tightly grip her elbows as he forced her slight frame back into the wall. The young woman hissed and winced in pain due to the impact whist furiously fighting to regain her limbs and create a safe distance between Villiers and herself. He was far too close to her, _dangerously_ close.

"Claire? Snow?" Serah's soft light tones cut through the thick air as she quietly pried from behind her bedroom door. She'd obviously been stirred by the commotion, yet been too timid to venture out into the ensuring chaos. Lightning quickly snapped her head round in the direction of the door, praying that Serah didn't walk in. In the past her younger sister used to spend so much time believing in the insane ideal that Snow Villiers was the perfect man who would one day become the perfect husband. He was completely faultless in the girls eyes. And though Lightning knew that one day or another, her sister would have to face the earth shattering truth that Villiers was just as damaged and unhinged as everyone else, Serah still didn't need to witness the hostile scene currently playing out.

The young woman grimaced as she could feel Snow's warm breath gliding across the skin on of her face. She twitched her noise and frowned as his exhales were ridden with the stench of stale alcohol. His tired eyes carefully traced the line of her jaw. His hands had slipped up from her elbows and where now digging into the exposed skin of her shoulders, keeping her back pressed flatly against the wall. For some unexplained reason, her skin beneath his fingertips seemed to burn and tingle in his grip.

A wild reckless glare took over her pale eyes as she silently threatened and challenged him. Yet her expression instantly softened when she caught sight of the fear and sincerity which plagued Snow's hansom feature.

"Hit me!" He sounded raspy and out of breath, his words were slurred; and even if his intentions weren't clear, his demand was.

"What?" She had to admit that she was completely taken aback by such an unexpected request. Her head recoiled back so that she could see the entirety of his face, attempting to read it; but to no avail. When a few moments had passed and she still hadn't acted, he spoke again.

"Hit me!" He was desperately trying to draw a reaction from her; wanting her to play into his hands. The fear still lingered in the depths of his eyes, amongst an twisted array of aggravation, dominance, lust, sadness and above all, confusion. When she still didn't retaliate, he egged her on again.

"C'mon Light, we all know you get a thrill from it."

"Fuck you!" _That's more like it._

"Hit me!"

He edged closer, _too_ close, his chest was up against hers, his breath still hot on her skin. This had to stop. Any composure that Lightning had managed to retain quickly crumbled as she balled her hand into a fist. In a single fluid motion she slugged him square in the jaw. The uncompromising power of her assault had forced his head back and instantly caused him to release his grip on her shoulders. He took a few shaky steps back before stumbling into a slump on the floor.

As soon of his body was away from her own, she hastily edged herself from the wall and turned on her heels to retreat. Lightning purposely turned her head away from him as she scampered away from his weakened form on the floor. For some reason she was unwilling to allow him to get a clear view of her flustered face. She managed to spit out a small string of bitter words before leaving.

"You better clean up your mess!"

She didn't turn back to look at him, she couldn't risk it. She could still feel his touch burning the exposed skin of her shoulders long after she had left him to return to the safety of her own room. The argument may well have come to an end for the time being, yet sleep would not come easily to Lightning tonight. Because even though Snow Villiers had put a hold his drunken ramblings and seemingly settled down, he was still very much lingering in her head.

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><p><em>Please review :D I need some love<em>

_x_


	2. A Martyr

_**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter_

**_Shadow of Intent, Tea, Annie, Liludallas _**_and_**_ cheraichan_**

_xxx_

_So here is part 2 :3_

_Warnings for language, this story change to an M rating for the last chapter_

_Disclaimer: All characters belong to Square Enix_

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><p><em>Snow Villiers was a martyr <em>

"This colour would be perfect for the centrepieces, don't you think?" Serah eagerly pointed her finger to a random page in one of the various bridal magazines that she had sprawled out over every available kitchen surface.

"uh huh."

"And a darker shade for the bridesmaids dresses, it looks good, right?" She pointed to yet another page, earning more unsatisfactory responses from her unenthusiastic fiancé; who was seated at the at the kitchen table, nursing both a cup of coffee and a brutal hangover.

"Yeah, right, whatever." Snow mumbled in response, grimacing as he brought a hand up to run it down his tired face. His fingers traced his skin until they settled on the growing patch of sore, purple flesh on his chin. He was lucky that Lightning's fist hadn't shattered his jaw; or at least dislocated it. The dull ache in his head ran concurrent with a growing ache in his chest. There was a painful truth that had come into light last night, a truth that he wasn't willing to accept.

"Snow, are you even listening to me?" Serah's voice echoed pseudo-tones of annoyance and anger, well, as close as she could possibly get to anger.

"It's early, Serah." He half-heartedly groaned in response whilst lowering his head to rest his face on the table. He instantly regretted his tone and his unnecessary feelings of animosity towards her. Of course Serah was bound to be excited, of course she craved to be proactive. It was only natural after she had come back to them from such an ordeal. Why couldn't he just be happy? This beautiful, youthful, vision of perfection before him was so ecstatic and enthusiastic about spending the rest of her life with him. He was the hero and in the end, he got the girl, that was it, simple. Yet something inside of him couldn't be satisfied with _simple_, no, he had gotten too comfortable and now he found himself desperately craving complication. Complication and despair. When did he become such a masochist? In the words or Claire Farron, what _was _wrong with him?

Serah lowered her saddened gaze down to the floor, she quietly apologised before taking a seat next to Snow. A sharp pang of guilt hit the blonde man deep in his chest as he still couldn't will himself to look at her again. With his head still resting on the table, Snow took a moment to immerse himself into his own little world where he was free to ponder every thought. How he had miraculously gone from the happiest man in the world to a clueless mess in a little under twenty-four hours? Such a drastic transformation in such a short space of time left him feeling desperate and trapped.

He had only known Serah Farron for a meagre three months before his impulsiveness took over and told him that she was the one. It was a whirlwind, a romance that played out like those in a fairytale. It only made sense for him to propose, he'd be a fool to let the perfect woman slip out of his grasp so easily. Then one day, she was taken from him. She had been ripped so cruelly from his arms only to fall into an eternal sleep, her timeless beauty was to be forever encased in crystal. The idea of him becoming a hero and her being his damsel, his prize, was so appealing at the time.

But it was all fake. He wasn't in love with Serah at all; he was in love with the _idea _or Serah. He had simply chose to forget all of the shortcomings they faced as a couple in favour of chasing an unattainable dream. The reality of it all had hit Snow Villiers hard last night, forcing him to search for any form of salvation at the bottom of a bottle. In his inebriated state, he knew exactly what he wanted.

He didn't crave perfection, no, not anymore. Instead he pined for grief, for friction, for hostility and heat. In fact, it was the very reason that he had instigated the argument with Serah last night; he was desperate to prove to himself that they could somehow capture a fraction of the antagonistic chemistry that he shared with her sister. The truth was hard to swallow, but it was still nagging from inside his head and refused to leave his mind. The elephant was already making itself comfortable in the room. Snow pined for Lightning.

Serah placed a small hand on Snow's back, rubbing it softly in circles in an attempt to ease his discomfort. The cruel irony of her actions was that she was only making things worse. Why did she have to be so empathetic and understanding? Why couldn't she have just snapped at him for acting like a complete asshole like anyone else would have?

"Good morning Serah."

And there she was, Claire _fucking _Farron. The spanner in the works, the instigator of doubt. And the object of his unwanted affection. She casually sauntered into the kitchen, surveying the room and the people in it. Lightning edged her way towards the coffee machine with the intent to fill her morning desire for caffeine; yet she was haltered midway through her motions to glance at one of Serah's bridal magazines as it lay open on the kitchen counter. Maybe he was imagining it, but Snow was certain that when he lifted his head to view her, he could see the slightest hint of sadness gleam in Lightning's eye as she gazed at the images in front of her. She seemed to take a few moments more than necessary to stare longingly at the woman clad in a beautiful white gown on the page whist softly brushing her fingers across the image. It was a painful reminder of what her sister had achieved and what she never would. Lifelong companionship.

"G'd morning." Snow took it upon himself to break the silence as he became aware that the older Farron sister had failed to address him during her entrance.

"Is it?" That was it, the fire, the sassiness which drew him in. She was back, instantly building up that rock solid demiurge again. She would never let him off easily for anything. She'd constantly be on the ball and always there to kick his backside whenever he stepped out of line. And the thought excited him.

Serah shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the dense air in the kitchen begin to turn sour. She timidly withdrew her hand from Snow's back and scampered to her feet to quickly gather the bridal magazines from the table. She then clumsily rushed to snatch the ones that lay in front of Lightning.

"I'm sorry if they were in your way, Light." She apologetically murmured as she passed her sister.

"…No, it's fine…" Lighning quietly mumbled as she turned back to the kitchen cabinet to retrieve a mug. She was sure that she could hear a quiet rustling behind her before turning back in Serah's direction. "Do you wa-" She was suddenly cut off when she noticed that her sister had vacated the kitchen. Her glassy blue gaze was only met with the sight of a hung-over Snow sitting at the table. Lightning's eyes instantly narrowed as her face twisted into a frown. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"What did you do?" Her tone was accusatory and bitter, yet there was a mild, sadistic undertone of amusement. Could it be true that Lightning, like Snow, found a twisted sense of elation in their hostile exchanges? And truth be told, she would be lying through her teeth if she ever denied it. Though their time together had been relatively short, it had become a routine, a familiarity to her. Snow was there when she went to sleep and there when she woke up. His presence made her feel _normal_ for once in her life. Yet she retained a deep routed fear that one day she may become dependent on Villiers, the very though terrified her.

"Nothing!" Snow exclaimed in his defence; knowing full and well that the blame would always swing back in his direction whenever it came to Serah. He resisted the urge to rise from the table and lifted both of his hands up in surrender.

"Bullshit! She wouldn't just run off like that." Lightning slammed her mug onto the kitchen counter and paced to the table. She took an offensive stance as she positioned herself opposite the blonde man, pointing her finger to his face. Snow attempted to defend himself, only to get viciously shot back down again.

"I didn-"

"-You promised me, Villiers! You promised me that you'd look after her!" She launched herself across the table, shifting her upper body weight onto her arms as she drew her angered face closer to his. Stray strands of pink hair had fallen over her shoulders to create a fitting frame for her facial features. She may have been rabid with anger, but dear god, she looked appealing.

"And I will!" Snow snapped with utmost sincerity. He couldn't afford to be looking at Lightning like that anymore. He had made a promise to Serah. Nobody had pointed a gun to his head and forced him to propose, he had taken that step all by himself. It was a decision he would stay true to and stand by. His own happiness would just have to be put on the backburner. She didn't deserve betrayal, she didn't deserve heartbreak.

"Really?" Lightning scoffed in retaliation, a bitter sarcasm lacing her voice.

"Yeah, that's what hero's do, they put other's first. They do whatever they can to always make sure that the people around them are happy. That's what I'll do for Serah, you have my word." Snow Villiers was a hero. He had spent the entirety of his life convincing himself of that. And it was finally time to prove it. He could give Serah everything she's ever wanted, and he would.

Something strikingly odd about Snow's unusual wording struck Lightning. She inched her body back from him cautiously, scowling as she internally deciphered his words. Her pale eyes widened slightly whilst she slowly began to make sense of his unusual behaviour.

"…to make _Serah_ happy? Why the hell aren't _you_ happy?"

"I think you know why." Snow made a bold motion to his feet, matching and topping the intimidating height that Lightning had previously held over him. He leaned forward, placing his hands firmly on the table, the tips of his fingers unintentionally brushing against hers as he did so. He angled his face in order to stare her down with a intensely stoic glare.

Finally the cogs had started to turn in Lightning's head, it began to become clear. Their encounter the previous night wasn't just the musings of an inebriated moron. He was attracted to her. The air in her lungs was quickly forced from her chest. She cautiously back away, regaining her full height. She watched as Snow's eyes followed her, hovering over her body again. Lightning quickly rebuilt her defences as she stubbornly folder her arms over her chest. She slowly shook her head, her voice low and gruff as she lowered her gaze to the floor.

"We can't…" There it was again, the hints of sadness that lay dormant in her voice.

"I wasn't asking you to." He signed, also dragging his eyes away from Lightning to stare aimlessly at the surface of the kitchen table. He shook his head apologetically. Lord knows that he didn't _want _to feel this way, it tore him apart inside, chipping and hacking away at his heroic resolve. It went against everything he ever stood for, it betrayed his innate sense of what was right and what was wrong. This was something he couldn't control; but he'd deal with it in his own way. He'd be damned before he dragged the Farron sisters into his problem.

Standing there before Snow; Lightning couldn't fight the feeling that she had unravelled and become exposed in front of him, and it sickened her. She hadn't spent years of her life developing a thick impenetrable skin for someone like him to come and rip it away. No, she had pride and stubborn sense of personal grandeur to uphold. She twisted her expression into a frown as she stormed from the kitchen; throwing whatever insult her confused mind could conjure on her way out.

"You really do think highly of yourself don't you? Get off your fucking pedestal!"

However, she didn't expect his timely response. It halted her in her tracks, she didn't care to admit it but his words were so hauntingly true, as if he had just seen right through her.

"Trust me I will, when you finally climb down from yours."


	3. A Failure

_A/N: Hello everyone!_

_Thanks so much for your reviews of my last chapter 3_

_**Zeil101, crystal-pencil, Annie **__and __**SakuBloss **_

_Chapter 3 time, just to warn you all that there is a time jump between chapter 2 and 3._

_Hope that you all enjoy it x_

_Disclaimer__: I only own the plot_

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><p><em>Snow Villiers was a failure<em>

"Snow's gone!"

A low groan vibrated across Lightning's lips whilst she hoisted her body to lay on her side; pulling her arms tightly around her pillow. She remained dazed in the blissful world which existed between sleep and consciousness whilst her alarmed sibling crouched at her bedside. An urgency rang through Serah's voice and pierced the older woman's ears, but she was just too damn comfy to care.

"Light, please wake up! He's gone, Snow's gone!" a small, frail hand clutched onto Lightning's upper arm and began to shake her awake. Serah was greeted by her sister's hand as it lightly swatted at her face in retaliation and was accompanied by short incomprehensible mumbles. If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have been so docile.

"LIGHT!" The volume was enough for her pale blue eyes to flick open and for her body to jolt to an upright position. Lightning quickly raised a hand to clear the fogginess in her vision before addressing her panicked sister.

Tears lay in the rims of Serah's bright blue eyes and her mouth had curled downward as her bottom lip began to quiver. She shakily clenched her sister's hand in her own trembling palm before lowering her head; allowing the tears to spill onto her reddened cheeks. Her slender shoulders began to bounce as her whole body was racked by uncontrollable sobs. Lightning quickly wrapped an arm around Serah's shoulders and brushed her hand soothingly though blush coloured strands. Whilst attempting to repress her own sense of distress and horror, the older woman spoke calmly.

"What happened?"

"I…don't….know." Serah managed to spit out in between her sobs. She brought a hand to her face to brush the salty sting of tears away and took deep breaths through pursed lips in an attempt to control her breathing, and to cease the shakes which jolted her body. She attempted to speak again; despite the occasional hiccup that interrupted her. "I just woke up and he wasn't there."

Lightning quickly twisted her body to view the display on her alarm clock: 2.47am. The soldier that lay dormant within forced her to quickly release the hold on her sister and spring her body from the bed. _It's 'go time' Farron. _She viciously flung the bed sheets from her body and made a b-line straight towards her dresser. Serah perched herself on the edge of the bed and quietly watched as Lightning rummaged through her clothes.

"Did you guys fight?" She asked over her shoulder whilst holding out a sweater and pulling it over her head. She took a mental note of how bitterly cold the nights had been recently whist she seeked out appropriate bottoms to complete her outfit.

"No." Serah timidly replied from behind her sister, gazing out of the bedroom window, her chest emitting panicked palpitations.

"And has he been acting strange?" Lightning grunted as she pulled a pair of jeans passed the breadth of her slender hips. She learned forward to clutch at her pair of heavy duty boots. Flicking unruly strands of coral hair over her shoulder, she turned to Serah again. Her sister's eyes were glassy due to the tears that had yet to fall. Her jaw was slack as she sat limply, refusing to answer.

"Serah!" Lightning called out to catch her sister's attention.

"He hasn't been himself for a while now, not for the passed few months, not since I came back." Serah tightly closed her eyes, bowing her head once again. She lifted a shaking hand to clutch her chest in physical pain as further tears made bitter tracks down her stained cheeks. She shook her head, struggling to calm her uneven breaths.

"Why would he do this, Light?"

A searing sensation building within Lightning's own chest caused her to quickly turn her away from Serah as she bent down to pull on her boots. She too rubbed her chest in unison with her sister, knowing that the pain she felt was not heartache, but something far worse, guilt. She knew the exact reason that Snow had wondered off in the middle of the night. She knew of his doubts, of his desires, of his godforsaken sense of duty. For it was this stubborn sense of duty which compelled him to stay with Serah; despite finding himself slowly falling out of love with her as the days slipped by. And the longer that he kept up this charade, the deeper he found himself sinking. Soon he would take the plunge and fall past the point of no return. He would never be able to back out once he took his legally binding vows.

"I'll help you look for him." Serah had managed to regain some sort of composure in the time that her sister's complex thoughts had shifted. She slowly walked up behind Lightning and placed a hand on her back.

"No!" The older woman snapped back in retaliation. She had unintentionally flinched under Serah's touch; yet still refused to turn back to face her sister. Another pang of guilt stabbed through Lightning's chest as she heard the younger Farron's gasp of anguish as she hastily snatched back her limb. Serah instantly retreated back to the bed and sat herself down on the mattress. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged onto them tightly, as if she was afraid that she would fall apart if she let go.

Lightning eventually mustered the courage to turn back to her sister after she had secured the last article of clothing on her body. She tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes desperately seeking contact with Serah's through her mane of think bangs. She displayed a softened, warm expression, relaxing the stern lines of her lips. It the closest she could actually get to a genuine smile.

"I need you to stay here in case he calls." She lied.

The younger woman nodded her head slowly in response before returning her gaze to the window. Hugging her knees a little bit tighter as she fought back more tears.

"I understand." She murmured absentmindedly, softly fluttering her eyes closed and lowering her face to rest her forehead against her knees.

"I'll find him, I promise." Lightning was only able to give her sister a meagre offering of consolation. She frowned, her lips exerting a tired sigh. This whole situation, the secret love-triangle that had bared it's ugly head, had gotten so far out of control. And for once in her entire life, she felt completely helpless.

Lighting quickly exited her bedroom, feeling the air become thicker as her guilt began to intensify, she was unable to remain in Serah's presence any longer. Just as her fingers grazed panel of her front door, an object hanging to the right of it caught her eye. It was Snow's coat. She scowled slightly as her hand reached for the fabric. The evening air outside was blisteringly cold and carried a nasty chill, why would he leave without it? Minor alarm bells echoed within Lightning's head, it was worse than she had initially thought, maybe this wasn't about her after all, something was seriously wrong.

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><p>The deserted streets of Bodhum housed an eerie, yet alluring quality during the night. The fresh sea breeze flew down every road and through every alleyway, giving the town the illusion that it had a life of it's own. The dim streetlight's flickered in Lightning's presence as she rambled along the barren sidewalks. She hugged her own jacket close to her body, hoping to fight off the chilly air as it nipped at her skin. She contemplated slinging Snow's oversized trench coat across her shoulders, yet restrained herself due to an immature, irrational fear. She was terrified that if she wore Snow's coat, she would become marked by his scent. And if she ever grew attached to that scent, she would never be able to let go of it, she would always want her skin to be coated by it. But, it wasn't hers, <em>he<em> wasn't hers, he belonged to Serah.

A powerful blast of frigid ocean air struck the flushed skin of Lighting's face, reddening her cheeks and burning her chapped lips. The frosty wind brought tears to her eyes, blurring her vision as they spilled and streamed down her skin. She rose her hands to her face to rid the unwelcome fogginess from her clouded eyes.

Lighting's vision eventually cleared to give her a crisp view of her new surroundings as she continued to stride through the dim light. She quickly scanned the area, her eyes darting over every object in a professional manor; the soldier within her keeping her cool and level headed. She instantly froze in her stance when the caught sight of him.

He's burly form was relaxed and slightly slack as he remained motionlessly slouching on a bench, just a few feet away from the sea front. The dipped light from a nearby streetlamp lit his form enough for Lightning to identify him, yet his finer, more distinguished details where hidden beneath a blanket of shadow. Just as she had suspected, his upper body was only protected by the thin cotton of a t-shirt, leaving his exposed skin to fall victim to the chill of the night air.

Lightning's intuition warned her to stay cautious as she approached him, something was so strikingly odd about his behaviour. Everything from his slouched posture to the ghostly, vacant look in his eyes was completely off kilter. Snow Villiers was a hero. An enthusiastic, obnoxious, clumsy moron with a passion for life and respect for all those around him. Who was this man before her? What had happened to him? Had his forbidden obsession with Lightning really taken it's toll?

Before she knew it, she was standing directly in front of him, her arms folded across her chest again for protection. He didn't respond to her. He just continued to stare blankly out at the open water, as if he could look right through her. Feeling her patience begin to wear dangerously thin, Lightning struggled to retain an aggravated groan as it pushed its way passed her closed lips. Her arm move jarringly on its own accord, holding out Snow's coat as an offering.

"You'll freeze out here like that." She stated bluntly, her eye's widening slightly with concern when he refused to even acknowledge her. "Snow…" She started, the annoyed tone quickly dissipating from her voice, leaving behind only undertones of genuine apprehension. "Just take it!"

He still sat motionless, his breathing steady and his eyes tired. He closed his lids for a second to blink, yet for some reason, he decided to keep his eyes shut. A sudden gust of coastal air drifted over the pair of them, causing the temperature to drop even lower. Lightning quickly allowed her skilled hands to unfold the coat before leaning over Snow to secure it around his shoulders. The breath was harshly sucked from the young woman's lungs as she felt large arms encircle her waist, pulling her to stand between his legs as he captured her in an awkward embrace. She froze for a few moments, her reflexes refused to kick in as she struggled to make any sense out of the situation. Her first response was to pull away, yet his stubborn strength kept her struggling body firmly in his grasp.

Lightning felt Snow's head burrow into her midriff and his arms pull her closer to him. She still hadn't been able to catch her breath. His bold action had startled her and rendered her motionless. She should have been berating him for such an inappropriate action. She should have been forcing her fists into various parts of his anatomy to ensure that he could never touch her again. And she should have felt violated and disgusted as his hands were desperately clenching the material at the small of her back. But her own emotions betrayed her, instead she felt _wanted_, she felt _needed._

Before Lightning could stop herself, she found that she was returning the embrace, matching Snow's enthusiasm and intimacy. She pulled his head closer to her body as she tightly shut her eyes, allowing herself to pretend that, for a few moments at least, what they were doing was right.

The cruel light of reality shone down onto Lightning, forcing her to salvage her shattered resolve. She calmly released her hold on Snow and removed her arms from his shoulders. She then reached behind her back to untangle the strong arms around her middle. Her fingers danced over his as she pried them apart and removed his hands from her body.

Lightning awkwardly shuffled away from the embrace and shifted to take a seat next to Snow on the bench. She made a mental note to keep a safe distance between them whilst she waited for him to talk. She was never one to provoke a reaction out of anybody. She had known Snow long enough to realise that he would do everything at his own pace, in his own time. Despite being somewhat emotionally unavailable, she was a surprisingly patient person. An obscure thought crossed her mind, compelling her to reach out and take a hold of his hand.

Her fingers lightly ran over his oversized palm, ghosting the lines of his hand. Yet the very moment that she claimed his limb in her own, the searing contact with his skin seemingly scorched her own, forcing her to snatch her hand away. Instead Lightning placed both of her hands in her lap and turned her body to face forward. Her pastel blue eyes tracing the faint, distant line of the horizon. She continued to wait.

"Nora Estheim." The words slid off of his tongue, leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth and a hollow pain within his chest. Instantly recognising the name, Lightning kept her eyes forward as she willed Snow to continue.

"I like to make people think that it doesn't bother me anymore, but it does. She haunts me, she's always waiting for me every time I close my eyes." Snow's features creased into a frown as he lent forward to catch his face in his hands before running them through his unruly blonde locks. Lightning remained silent and stoic, it was safer that way. She was never good with this sort of thing, it unnerved her.

"I know, I deserve to be haunted, It's my punishment, the constant reminder of my failure."

The young woman silently nodded her head in understanding. She had lost track of the number of times that she had succumbed to her own self-hate. There were days when she couldn't even bring herself to gaze at her own reflection; for she feared that if she caught sight of her own eyes, she would peer so deeply into her soul, and not like what she'd find there. Even to this day, she still couldn't say the name Claire Farron aloud without it leaving a vile taste of bile within her mouth. It brought back memories of her deceased parents. She knew all about guilt, she knew all about pain and in a twisted way, it brought her closer to Snow.

An exhausted sigh from Snow's lips caught Lightning's attention as she shifted her body round to face him. Her eyes following the pained expression on his face, both admiring him and fearing the compassion warming her frozen body and the quickening palpitations within her chest.

"You know, that sad thing is, that day that Hope finally call me out on it, I felt like justice had caught up with me at last. I felt relieved. That kid was ready to kill me, and I…I was ready to accept it."

Lightning's brows furrowed as her expression saddened. She was so out of tune with all of those around her to the extent that she took everyone at face value. Snow Villiers was a larger than life personality, who was eager to please and desperate to love. She wrongly wrote him off from the get-go because she foolishly couldn't see passed his façade. She was unable to work passed the layers and appreciate his true character. All of this was getting too much, too revealing.

"Sometimes, I wish that he had-"

"-Why are you telling me this?" She forced herself to interject. She was treading water out of her depth and chocking under the strong current. He was supposed to be spilling his guts to Serah, the woman he intended to marry, the woman who was supposed to understand him.

"Because Serah would somehow find a way to make it alright. She would tell me that I was foolish and reassure me that it was never my fault in the first place. She would insist on pulling me out of this rut and she'd have that big, stupid grin plastered back on my face in no time." Snow eventually turned to face Lightning, his expression soft and hurt, but completely genuine. The inflictions of his voice sounded hopeless and lost, but above all else, desperate.

"I need to feel guilty every once and a while. I can't be so damned cheerful every hour of the day. And you, you'll let me have this because you understand." He eagerly pleaded, unintentionally shifting himself to lean into Lightning. His wide blue eyes reflecting the artificial light from the street lamps as he gazed longingly over her form with both admiration and desire.

"You can't keep looking at me like that." Lightning quickly turned her head away from him in a bitter act of rejection. She desperately attempted to salvage some sort of front, something that would repel him. He tentatively reached his hand out to her, but she viciously swatted it back. She pushed herself to her feet, and cruelly turned her back to him as she began to stride away.

"We better head back, do you have any idea what you've put my sister through tonight, Villiers?" Lightning bluntly snapped over her shoulder, not bothering to turn back to Snow. She could feel his eyes on her body whilst she walked away. She slighted her pace as she heard a low pitched grunt and the sound of heavy footsteps on the concrete sidewalk behind her.

"Do you think that I even wanted to feel like this? Don't you think I've tried to hate you? Don't you think I've done everything I possibly could to force myself to love Serah? It's killing me, Light!" His sudden outburst was startling, but not a complete surprise. Snow had a bad habit of not knowing when to shut up. Yet there was this inkling of hope which lingered in his heart, for a moment there, he was sure that had her. He had her full attention, he had her in the palm of his hand and now she was about to rip it all away again because of fear; because she was too damn proud.

"I can't comfort you! That is not my place!" Lightning quickly turned back to face Snow, her voice filled with both frustration and confusion. His large arms were held out either side of him, his body language openly pining for her; yet her own stance contradicted his, her arms securely folded over her chest. She slowly shook her head from side to side. He was losing her again, he had to do something, say anything to bring her back, to open her up again. In his desperation, provoking her seemed to be the only feasible option.

"_You_ came looking for me tonight. Not Serah. _You _did, Claire."

"You have no right to use that name! You don't know me!" She inwardly winced at the sound of her own voice. It sounded as though she had regressed into a hormonal teenager. She was a well constructed woman with a strong, independent constitution; not a bumbling, angst filled little girl. Lightning's eyes widened, flashing a look of defiance and rebellion as she awaited his reply.

"I know that you are possibly the loneliest person I have ever met!" He yelled in response, taking intimidating strides in her direction, gradually closing the distance, restricting the chilly air between them. "You watch others, like Serah, and you wish that you could experience even the slightest bit of happiness that they have. But in the end you accept your loneliness because, for some insane reason, you think that you deserve it."

He noticed her expression drop, she blankly stared at him in a state of bewilderment. His words cut straight through her resolve, stabbing deep in her chest. Snow continued towards her, the glare from the street lamps casting an amber glow across Lightning's face, revealing the bitter trails left in the wake of her tears. She was crying. "Now, tell me that I'm wrong."

"You're wrong!" She snapped, yet he continued to move towards her, not fazed in the slightest by her bitter lie.

_For the love of god Farron, just swallow your damn pride for once! _

"You don't have to be on your own."

"Don't!" Lightning instinctively balled her hand into a fist and drew back her arm to strike him. She thrust her limb in a fluid motion to punch Snow. A slapping of knuckles against skin echoed through the silent streets of Bodhum as her fist was captured in his palm.

Lightning's jaw fell slack as she peered up at Snow in awe. She quickly relaxed her hand, allowing her first to fall limp. Her limb was finally released from his grip when it no longer posed as an immediate threat and was allowed to fall back down at Lightning's side.

She gave in.

Reaching up to clutch desperately at the collar of Snow's coat, Lightning yanked his face down towards her, causing a violent collision of their lips. The initial contact was much rougher than either of them expected it to be. It wasn't tender or intimate; it was rushed, urgent and heated. Snow's hands firmly cupped either side of her face, sealing away her willingness as he pushed her further into his kiss. Her retaliation was true to her character ash she violently tugged on the fabric of his coat, forcing him closer to her. She bared her teeth, grazing them along the corners of his mouth before biting down on his bottom lip. He winced quietly, she wasn't sure if she had drawn blood.

She finally withdrew her teeth whilst he angled his face against hers, allowing him to claim her open mouth with his own. Snow shifted a hand from Lightning's face as he slowly glided it down her jaw. His fingers were hot on the exposed flesh of her neck as he continued down her body. He lightly grazed the side of her clothed breast and waist before finally resting his hand on her hip. His grip suddenly tightened as he pushed her body close to his, forcing a moan to vibrate across her lips.

The sound of her own voice forced Lighting's eyes to flick open. She instantly recoiled, pushing her hands flat against Snow chest to separate the two of them. She was breathless and her vision was hazy, yet her conscience was screaming at her from the inside. The frigid air forced its way in between their bodies as Lightning struggled to preserve the distance. Villiers, however, wasn't so keen on the idea of separation, and leaned back into her for another kiss.

Lightning managed to voice out a desperate, albeit unconvincing, "No" as she could feel his warm breath tingle the tender flesh of her lips. In an impromptu moment of genius, she abruptly turned her face away from him, knowing that if she allowed him to kiss her again, she wouldn't be able to stop it. Instead his lips collided with the icy skin of her cheek. Lightning's breath was heavy and shaky, bitter tears marking her pale skin whilst she spoke of a painful truth that neither one of them could deny.

"I love my sister." She breathed. "And her happiness will always come first, before mine, and before yours."

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><p><em>AN: Oh the drama_

_I'm hungry for a review, please feed me! :3_

_x_


	4. A Reject

_**A/N: **It's time for the penultimate chapter of this story! :3 I'm a little bit sad that it's gonna be over soon_

_Thank you so much for my wonderful reviews:_

**_Annie, crystal-pencil , JoyDollie, flowerangel050, Pink _**_and_**_ XxBeastYouMadeOfMexX_**

_xxx_

_Oh the angst... :p_

_Disclaimer: Yeah, i know, i don't own anything..._

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><p><em>Snow Villiers was a reject <em>

It had taken Lightning ten minuets longer than usual to reach her front door. She was desperately stalling herself by any available means. She wasn't ready to face the empty house yet. The cold, hollow, lifeless interior would drive her insane within seconds. Yet, the inevitable happened, and there she stood only inches away from the rest of her life, alone.

Serah and Snow had left today. The younger Farron was a slave to her own ambitious expectations and had naturally been eager to start college; to fill her naive mind with knowledge and create a bright future for herself. A future without boundaries or limitations; without the dreaded fate of a l'Cie looming over her. Serah had the right to move on, to move forward. And Snow had promised to marry her. So by default, wherever Serah ventured, he was always in tow.

But lord knows that he didn't want to leave.

Ever since the younger Farron had chosen a university, and ultimately sealed Snow's fate, he took every opportunity he was given to get closer to Lightning. Be it just a few stolen glances across the kitchen table during dinner; or shuffling just a little bit closer to her whenever they shared the sofa. He was desperately clutching at straws; forcing a relationship that would never come into full bloom. Sometimes he would just silently pine for her; others he would go all out and literally beg for her to just pack up and leave with him. And she'd coldly knock him back down every time. However, his most recent attempt had cracked her strong will, and threatened to shatter it into a thousand pieces.

Serah had graciously excused herself early one evening and retired to her room with claims that she had an early start ahead of her. It went unspoken that it was Snow's wilful duty to join her; yet he was always one to pull against the grain, push the boundaries to see what he could get away with. Lightning was busying herself in the kitchen, washing the dishes after they had already been cleaned. It had become something of a habit as of late. She would find any possible way to bide her time. She'd run errands that didn't need tending to and find any plausible excuse to leave the house. It was her own little way of stalling reality, for she knew that soon enough, she would be on her own again. Without Serah, and without Snow.

Lightning may have had her back turned towards Snow when he walked into the kitchen, yet that didn't mean he's presence went by unnoticed. She cautiously eyed him from the reflective glass of the cabinet in front of her, not daring herself to turn around. Within mere seconds he was close; the warmth from his chest radiating though the fabric of his clothes and pulsing onto her back. He placed one hand on the kitchen counter by the side of her and tightly griped the surface, blocking her escape route. His other hand slinked around her waist, luring her back against his body. Lightning's breath hitched in her throat as she felt his mouth close to her ear.

He whispered something inaudible, but undeniably desperate, to her. Her laboured breaths were drawn out as she gazed into the glass of the cabinet door. Her lips curled downward into a pained frown and her eyes narrowed as she watched the reflection of them both. They looked…_perfect_. Lightning forced herself to snatch her eyes away from the glass, feeling unnerved. She peered down at Snow's hand as it still sat stubbornly across her middle. Lifting her own limb from the counter; she grazed her fingers longingly across the exposed skin of his forearm. She was carefully admiring his collection of minor battle scares that lay proudly against his untainted flesh. Eventually her wandering hand fell on top of his, she ran her fingers against it and allowed them to intertwine with his for a few moments.

She then pulled Snow's hand away from her body and placed it onto the counter. Lightning silently turned around, still encased in his arms at either side of her hips. She tentatively brought her gaze up to look him in the eyes. Her hands reached for either side of his face; drawing him just a little bit closer to her. She then spoke, her tone was somewhat cold and clinical, but her eyes were screaming out in her state of anguish.

"In a few days time, you're going to leave with Serah. You're going to marry her, and you're going to make her happy." She paused, dragging her eyes away from him whilst running her tongue over her lips. "I'll be waiting for my wedding invite."

Snow's face twisted in an expression of pain as he leant his head forward to rest his forehead on her shoulder. It was all getting far too much, slipping out of his hands, out of his control. He might as well have still been a l'Cie, falling victim to a fate he could no longer deny. Lightning shuddered slightly as unruly blonde stands ticked the flesh of her neck. She traced her hands down from his face to rest them on his shoulders, lightly digging her nails into skin that lay beneath his shirt. She felt him smile against her bare arm in response.

"Snow, are you coming to bed?" Serah's soft tones sliced through the air as she called out from her bedroom. Lightning tensed as her sister's voice stung her ears; reminding her that soon, Serah and Snow would be starting a new life together, miles away from her. She could also feel the large blonde man stiffen under her hands; revealing that he was in just as much pain as she was. Knowing that this was probably the last time that Snow would ever be this close to Lightning caused him to feel brazen and slightly cocky. He possessively planted a chaste kiss on her shoulder and another on the exposed skin of her throat. She sighed, allowing her eyes to flutter closed as she turned away from him again.

Just as quickly as he had approached her, his comforting body heat slipped away all too soon. She kept her eyes cast downward whilst she heard him walk away; not allowing herself to watch him leave.

"Why couldn't I have met you first, huh?" He sighed light-heartedly during his exit.

"I still wouldn't have liked you." She called out. Despite not watching him go, she liked to imagine that he was grinning like an idiot in response to her last statement as he edged his way out of her life and into Serah's.

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><p>Jolting back to reality, Lightning found herself outside her front door once again; psyching herself up and attempting to muster the courage to walk inside. Her arm was already tensed, reaching out to the door ahead of her. She had chosen to make herself scarce this morning, knowing that watching the two of them leave would have been too much to bare. Instead she said her goodbyes over breakfast. They were short, sweet and informal, but above all else, painfully poignant.<p>

Lightning inwardly berated herself for being such a coward. She shook her head and brushed away any of the tears which threatened to materialise. This was ridiculous, it was a door. A run-of-the-mill, non-threatening passageway into her house. She'd walked through it a thousand times before, why couldn't she just will her feet to take her further. A deep breath signalled her determination as she pushed forward; letting her hand drift across the panel. It opened easily with only the slightest amount of pressure applied. _That's odd_, it wasn't locked.

Lightning unwillingly adopted a cautious stance, darting her eyes around her spacious, yet unoccupied living area.

"Serah?" The name slipped from her lips with natural ease as she slowly scoped the room. As she suspected, there was no reply. Her eyes quickly fell onto her sister's bedroom door; noticing that it was left ajar. The slight opening lured her in; drawing her closer to unmarked territory. Lightning tilted her head to the side, allowing plink locks to cascade over her shoulder as she moved forward. She tentatively pushed open the door and allowed her pupils to adjust to the sudden change in lighting.

The midday sun was glaring ferociously through Serah's bedroom window. It's rays bouncing off the pale, barren surfaces, giving to room it's own unique glow. Every little piece of décor which had previously marked to room as Serah's was missing; stripping away every ounce of personality that the four walls once housed. The walls were bare, the floor was bare, even the bed sheets were missing. Yet there was something in the room that didn't belong there amongst the plain furnishings.

Snow.

He was perched on the end of the bed. His forearms resting on his knees and his head lowered. His figure was slouched forward and his eyes remained downward; as if he were lost momentarily in his own head. Lightning froze, her hands clutching onto the doorframe tightly. Her body refusing to leave the false safety that the open doorway offered her. This couldn't be real.

"Where's Serah?" Her voice was uncharacteristically shaky and cracked whilst she uttered the syllables of her sister's name. Snow quickly lifted his head, his saddened blue eyes seeking out hers as he offered her a meagre grin. His expression, although relaxed, was still displaying clear signs of disbelief . He eventually addressed Lightning's query

"S-she, er, she left…" He spoke quietly in a low, gruff register. His large hands held out in front of him and his shoulders slightly raised signalling his confusion. "She left to start her new life at college."

"Without you?"

"Without me."

"Why?" She pried, still clearly unnerved and unable to make sense of the situation. She furrowed her brows, Serah had been so happy with Snow, what could have possibly gotten into her to make such a drastic decision? Lightning eyed the room, her mind still reeling from the scene before her. The sunlight seeping through the window reflected off an unknown object which sat on Serah's empty dresser and caused a blinding glare to compromise her vision. Without thinking, she took a stride into the room and closed in on the mystery object. She took it in her palm firmly and examined it; recoiling her head the very moment that she recognised the curves and edges of the silver object. It was Serah's engagement pendent; a symbol of the commitment and unity between two lovers.

"She's not an idiot, Light, she figured it out." Lightning hastily turned back to Snow, her eyes wide and slightly fearful. She had spent so long trying to protect her sister from this kind of hurt, this kind of betrayal, and in the end, she had been the one to initiate it.

"Oh…" Was all that she could offer in response. Feeling so overwhelmed with guilt that she failed to see anything else other than the pain she had caused, the plans she had disrupted and the relationship she had skewed. The pendant fell out of her grasp and hit the floor with a soft clank.

"She's okay ." Snow offered in reassurance, noticing the distress as it left an ugly trail across Lightning's features.

"Where will you go now?" The young woman murmured absentmindedly, unable to snatch her gaze away from the bare wall ahead of her. Her skin had flushed to a ghostly pale shade. _She figured it out_. The words echoing in her head; but refusing to make any sense.

"What? Nowhere." Snow spoke up, alarmed by her strange hostility. He thought that this was what she wanted. His snarky response earned a stern glare from Lightning. He was sitting nonchalantly on the edge of Serah's bed like he still had a right to, like he belonged there.

"You can't just stay here, Snow."

"Watch me." He scoffed in response, _what the hell was her problem_? In an act that was admittedly childish, even for him, he flung his large body back to lie on the bed. Closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath, he flexed his hands and rested his head on them. The sunlight still streamed through the window, surrounding him with a warm glow that he envisioned behind closed lids.

A figure suddenly blocked the haze, leaving him in shadow. Snow opened one curious eye to squint up at Lightning as she loomed over him. Her back straight and her expression stoic as she glared down at him. She stretched one arm out, pointing in the direction of the open bedroom door before speaking.

"Get out." There was that cold element to her voice again. She was distancing herself from him. For some strange reason she was trying her hardest to drive him away. He really didn't have the energy to deal with her violent mood swings. Only a few weeks ago, she had kissed him with hunger and passion. She had allowed him to touch, her, to beg her whilst she secretly pined for his affection. How could she just turn it on and off? She could have him this very moment all to herself if she wanted. Was it really guilt or just stubborn pride that got in the way?

"Hell no." He smirked, casually closing his eyes again.

"I said, get out!" Lightning leant over him, yanking at his oversized palms, earning a surprised "Hey" from his mouth. She launched forward; pulling both of her knees up onto the mattress either side of his waist. She forcefully pulled at his arms attempting to physically remove him from the room. Yet her tactically applied force was no match for his brute strength. Snow yanked back, causing Lightning to lose her balance and fall onto his chest.

Her breath was quick and uneven. The rise and fall of her own chest moved against his. Lightning hastily placed a strategic hand at either side of Snow head as she lifted her torso away from his. However, she didn't leave. Instead she continued to hover over him, her knees straddling his waist and her blush coloured locks falling forward to brush against his nose and chin. It wasn't long before his wandering hands found their place on her body, trailing her perfect lines eagerly. Staring up at her shoulders and trailing down her middle. They continued downward, reaching her hips and tracing the curves down to finally rest at the back of her thighs.

"Damn, you really are a self-saboteur, aren't you? Just let go."

"I can't. I let her down. I took you from her." She rasped, her face displaying a concoction of hurt and shame. For as long as she could remember, Lightning had always been something of an idol to Serah. She was the wise older sister who took great pride in protecting the sanctity of right and wrong. Yet she had been the one to betray her sister; to fracture the strong bond between them.

A tear fell onto Snow's cheek, another landed on his bottom lip. His eyes darted to her face again; staring in a state of silent awe as he watched her crying. That was twice now that he had provoked such a reaction, and from a social standpoint, that was not a good thing. His intuition compelled him to quickly attempt to solve her distress. He moved a hand up to her face, taking her cheek in his palm and using his thumb to brush away the tears. His voice was uncharacteristically low and soft in his attempt to reassure her.

"You didn't take anything, she left me."

Lightning shook her head in denial, slowly lifting her body to an upright position. She shifted her weight onto her knees and rested her backside on his lap momentarily. She wiped her face with both hands, allowing herself to regain some composure as she sat silently running her eyes across his sprawled out form beneath her. Her glassy blue orbs growing colder as the seconds passed by.

"You just need to get comfortable with us." Snow offered a slight grin as he broke the silence. Lightning kept her expression fixed in a apathetic stare. She slowly shook her head from side to side.

"There is no '_us_'." She bitterly scoffed in response as she climbed off him and down from the bed. She walked away without looking back.

Snow's eyes lingered on her form and she strode away and out of sight. Rejected by both of the Farron sisters in one day, that had to be a new world record.

* * *

><p>Two envelopes lay on the coffee table, both of them had their edges torn open and their contents removed. The first was addressed to 'Lightning'. The handwriting was understated yet pleasantly familiar.<p>

The second was addressed to 'Claire Farron and Snow Villiers', causing a baffled Lightning to raise an eyebrow. It was written in gratuitously fancy, gold calligraphy. An indication that some grand organisation was behind it. Knowing that the former was a hand written letter from her sister; Lightning chose to flick through the more formal material first.

She curiously scanned her eyes across the page. It was an invitation. 'Sazh Katzroy invites you to celebrate his 41st birthday.' Lightning narrowed her eyes and allowed the corners of her mouth to twitch into a small grin as she recalled fond memories of her comrade. She quickly glanced at the rest of the invite; taking notes of the key details, but found her eyes wondering back to the top. She couldn't snatch them away from the two names that sat side by side on the page. _How did Sazh know? Had Snow been mouthing off again? And since when did he start going by this address? _

Lightning carefully placed the invite down on the sofa beside her; allowing her fingers to lightly brush over the gold font of both her and Snow's names; marvelling at how perfectly they sat together on the page. The young woman then turned to a small stack of pages; noticing that there was a photograph attached to the front.

Lightning unclasped the picture, holding it out in front of her. It was a photograph of Serah standing proudly in front of a vintage building of the highest esteem. The plaque above the front door read the name of the college in bold lettering. The young pink haired woman was caught in a tight, intimate embrace with an unnamed young man. He was a few inches taller than Serah, proudly displaying a lean build and tanned skin. His eyes were a deeply alluring shade of blue and his thick brunette hair ran down to the bottom of his neck. Both Serah and the stranger wore ridiculously wide ,teeth-baring grins as they faced the camera with their arms wrapped around each other.

Lightning quickly scanned through Serah's accompanying letter until a name caught her eye. Noel Kreiss. Another small smile tugged at her lips. She then set the photograph down next to invitation before reading through the pages of Serah's letter with feelings of inquisitiveness. The younger Farron had been attending college for three weeks now. She had settled into her classes, made friends and started looking forward to an ambitious future. She wanted to teach, to share knowledge and mould young minds. She wanted to travel Cocoon and explore the land of Gran Pulse which resided beneath it. She also expressed the desire to see it all with her 'friend' Noel by her side. Lightning quickly glanced back at the photograph, raising and eyebrow, before returning to the letter.

"_Friend_, huh?" She smirked to herself.

She continued to read, becoming overwhelmed with feelings of pride and admiration with every word. Lightning's smile widening as she ventured through the lines of her little sister's exploits and plans. But then her eyes wandered over the closing comments. Something struck her about the last few sentences. Her mind forced her to read over each word a dozen times before they could finally sink in and make sense.

"…_and how is Snow doing? I hope that he's well. You'll look after him won't you, Light? He deserves to be happy, and so do you. I really hope that you can find that with each other. Write me back soon, sis. I love you."_

Choked, laboured breaths gathered in Lightning's throat as she allowed her cyan eyes to scan over them one last time. Serah didn't hate her, Serah was happy, in fact, Serah gave her blessing.

A soft click from her sister's old bedroom door signalled the arrival of Snow Villiers. His large form came into view as he stumbled into the living room. He was still wiping the sleep from his tired eyes as he greeted Lightning with a docile, yet surprisingly reserved smile. He brushed his fingers through his bed hair, flattening it down as he slowly walked towards her. As usual, he was clad only in a pair of dark pyjama bottoms. It had become his own little seduction technique that he had proudly taken the credit for. For the past three weeks he had gotten into the habit of taking off his shirt whenever he could. It was his genius attempt at breaking down Lightning's barriers. He still had an enduring faith in their relationship because, if she really didn't want him, why did she let him stay with her?

The young woman carefully watched Snow as he placed himself down on the sofa beside her. Their eyes meeting for a brief moment before the mail caught his attention. Lightning still held Serah's letter firmly within her hand as Snow eyed the accompanying photograph. He lifted it closer to his face and squinted; studying the two people within it. Lightning felt herself tense involuntarily as she awaited his reaction. After a few moments of silence, a look of indifference crossed over Snow's facial features as he set it back down on the sofa; swapping it for the fancy invitation.

His face instantly lit up as he quietly smirked at the printed addressees. He darted his eyes over to Lightning quickly before returning his attention to the invite. After a few seconds he placed it back, notably covering the photograph with it. He inhaled deeply before finally speaking.

"Looks like we've got a party to go to."

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><p><em><strong>AN: **If you review me, I'll love you forever :3_

_On a side note, chapter 5 will change this story to an M rating, so keep that in mind so you don't miss it!_

_Thank you xxx_


	5. A Lover

_**A/N:** Sadly, we've reached then end :(_

_Thank you so much to:_

**_crystal-pencil, Annie, XxBeastYouMadeOfMexX _**_and_**_ flowerangel050_**

_And thanks to everyone who had faved and alerted this story :D xxxxx_

_I'm sorry that this one took me a little longer to update, i just couldn't seem to be happy with it. Really hope that you enjoy it._

_Yes, the rating has upped to an M, that's because things are about to get sexy!_

_Disclaimer: Nope, the characters belong to Square Enix. If they belonged to me, we'd have Snow/Lightning and Serah/Noel as cannon!_

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><p><em>Snow Villiers was a lover<em>

God, she hated dressing up. Being made-up like this and put on display caused Lightning to feel slightly queasy. Her face and hair were dowsed in make-up and fakery. Her pink locks were tied in a unnecessarily complex up-do; whilst the tight, black lace of her 'barely-there'dress clung to the contours of her body. It was safe to say that her outfit hardly left anything to the imagination. _Damn Sazh and his 'black-tie' dress code. _Lightning allowed her eyes to wander around the grand ballroom of the nameless swanky hotel that Sazh had hired out for his lavish birthday bash. The walls were covered with fancy decorations that stretched across to elegantly hang from the high ceilings. She then returned her gaze to the rows of countless tables and the formally attired guests who sat expectantly at them.

All of a sudden, she felt several sets of eyes fall onto her. Gaping and leering at her from all corners of the room. Lightning instinctively balled her hands into fists at her sides as the urge to bolt was becoming unbearable. She didn't belong there. Her breathing quickened as she continued to dart her eyes around the room; feeling more curious glances being thrown her way. She tensed, feeling a strong hand come to rest at the small of her back, gently nudging her forward.

"It's nice, huh?" Snow's breath grazed her ear as he spoke. The young woman slacked her body slightly as she turned to face him. She nervously placed her hands flat against his chest as she carefully smoothed down the front of his suit jacket and reached up to tighten his tie; despite there being no need to.

She followed his gaze; realising that he was admiring the lavish gold and black theme of the party and the striking array of decorations.

"It's…flashy ." She smirked, turning back to chase Snow's eyes around the room. His hand on her back had slinked around to rest on her waist as he pulled her against him. "And it's very…_Sazh_." She grimaced, noting that the décor was definitely not to her subtle, minimalist tastes.

"C'mon, if a man saves the world, he needs to celebrate it, right, flash his cash a little?" Sazh's hand grasped tightly onto Snow's shoulder as he made his entrance. He laughed, turning to face both of his friends to tightly embrace them in an awkward three-way hug. He pulled back to look at them, a wide, toothy grin occupying his face and the slight scent of liquor fermenting from him. He enthusiastically rubbed his hands over both Snow and Lightning's shoulder's in admiration before embracing them again.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" He exclaimed. His words were slightly slurred as he pronounced the syllables; it appeared that he had already begun the festivities long before their arrival. Sazh eventually pulled back from the pair before waving his arm out and gesturing to his party guests.

"The kid is around here somewhere." He smirked, struggling to locate Hope Estheim within the sea of people. He edged his chin upward and continued to scan the room, but to no avail. Sazh eventually gave up, shaking his head dismissively. "Just look out for silver hair and gathering of eager young ladies. That boy is a lady killer!" He continued to chuckle whilst swiping a glass of Champaign from the tray of a passing waiter. The older man's eyes widened when his gaze fell onto Snow's hand as it remained in it's position around Lightning's slender waist. Despite being somewhat a subtle and tactile man when it came to social situations; Sazh couldn't seem to retain his joy as he excitedly pointed to both of his friends.

"Whoa, getting friendly there, I see. Ya know, I kept on telling everyone that it was only a matter of time, what with you two cozy-ing up in that love nest and all."

A red hue instantly began to heat up Lightning's cheeks as her blue eyes widened in horror. She quickly reached for Snow's hand and yanked it away from her body. She cleared her throat whilst creating a safe distance between herself and the two men.

"I-I'm going to get a drink." She mumbled, raising a hand to cover her flustered face before hastily walking towards the bar.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Sazh asked in a slight state of awe and bewilderment. Snow's reply came in the form of a half-sigh, half-laugh.

"You have no idea."

* * *

><p>"Light!" <em>That voice? <em>

Lightning quickly lifted her gaze from the bar and turned to her right. An array of pubescent features amongst pale green eyes and silver hair marked the arrival of Hope Estheim as he approached the young woman. Lightning was surprised to notice his slight growth spurt as he proudly stood just an inch or so shorter than her. His bright, youthful features contorted into a wide grin as he moved to embrace her.

"Good to see you."

Lightning found herself returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm. A genuine smile tugged at her lips as she pulled away and held Hope at arms length. She admired the changes he had undergone on his current transition into manhood. She also jokingly poked fun at his attire, raising an eyebrow and smirking whist she looked over his tux.

"I know, I'm in a monkey suit." He exclaimed, raising a hand to his face in a poor attempt at shielding his obvious embarrassment. "I keep telling myself 'it's all for Sazh'."

"Speak for yourself." Lightning was quick to quip whilst motioning her hand up and down her own outfit.

"Nah Light, you look beautiful." Hope bashfully stated, feeling a slight redness twinge his face.

"Thank you, Hope" She graciously displayed a small smile of admiration in response to his maturity before turning her body back to the bar. She eyed the array of bottles mounted on the wall opposite her and internally studied the names of the various liquors.

"So, you, er, you came with Snow?" Hope pried whilst nonchalantly clearing his throat. He placed a hand on the bar next to the young woman in an attempt at drawing her attention back to him.

"…yeah." Lightning replied, looking uncharacteristically sheepish and flustered. She followed Hope's eye line to gaze at Snow and Sazh; who were sat comfortably at a table across the room. They were both caught in a deep, enigmatic conversation, taking turns to either laugh out loud or hold out their arms in exaggerated gestures.

Hope turned back around, aiming to catch the attention of the passing bartender, but not no avail. He opened his mouth, preparing to speak again; yet he halted his actions the moment that his eyes returned to Lightning's unresponsive form. She was still silently staring at Snow, her lips slightly parted, their corners turned downward. Her blue orbs filled with anguish and sadness, it looked as though she was on the verge of crying. A shaky breath hitched in her throat as she struggled to snatch her gaze away from the blonde man. She only realised that a tear had fallen when she could feel it drop onto her lips.

"I see…" Hope voice was soft and compassionate as he placed a comforting hand on Lightning's back. The contact of his warm palm to her cool skin caused her to jolt slightly and turn back to her young friend; forcing a smile whilst attempting to hide her own self-pity.

"If he means that much to you, then why are you so upset?"

"Because he's Serah's fiancé, Hope." Lightning spat out bluntly; instantly regretting the harsh tones of her voice.

"He _was _her fiancé."

"Isn't that just as bad?" She sighed, shaking her head dismissively whilst pushing a few stray stands of hair behind her ear. She lifted her head, offering Hope a meagre grin, it was a subtle attempt at distraction. She was desperately trying to shift the subject away from the sensitive situation between herself and Snow.

"Can't we just talk about something else?"

"Too late, he's coming over." Hope nodded his head in the direction of Sazh's table; clocking the tall figure of Snow Villiers as he clumsily manoeuvred himself around the unsuspecting party guests. Lightning quickly glanced in his direction before turning back to Hope; placing a hand on his shoulder before parting from him.

"I can't deal with this right now." She mumbled before heading in the direction of the brutish blonde.

They met awkwardly in the centre of the crowded room. Snow approached her with a warm grin and his open arms held out before him. Lightning quickly adverted her gaze whilst forcing her hands to remain at her sides.

"I'm just gonna…talk to Sazh, it is his birthday after all." She trailed off. Her body was slouched into an uninviting stance as she refused to give him any eye contact. Lightning was a woman of strict self restraint; yet Snow had spent so much time hacking away at her own barriers that she felt almost defenceless in his presence. She could only take so much before she completely caved in. She despised the fact that she had reverted to an awkward teenager in his company. There was no denying that he had gotten under her skin.

"Okay, I'll go catch up with the kid anyways; he must be dying to know what good old uncle Snow's been up to." He casually brushed off her outward indifference and lifted his gaze to peer passed her shoulder; nodding his head towards Hope, a slight smile playing on his lips. Lightning felt a surge of burning heat as his hand grazed her hip whilst he passed by her. She inwardly scolded herself for turning back to longingly watch him as he approached the bar. He playfully ruffled his hand through Hope's silver head of hair before trapping the teen in a tight bear hug.

Lightning eventually managed to tear her eyes away from the scene and turned back to Sazh. The older man smiled whole-heartedly as he saw her approach his table.

"There she is!" He mused, holding up both of his hands in admiration at her presence. The young woman shook her head dismissively at his drunken antics before setting herself down in the vacant chair next to him. Sazh pushed a full champagne flute across to Lightning as he took a hold of his own. The young woman gripped the stem of the elegant glass between her index finger and thumb as she clanked it against Sazh's in a toast.

"Man, Snow sure loves talking about you." The older quipped just before taking a sip of the bubbling liquid. Lightning quickly darted her eyes over to him, feeling her own embarrassment rise up into her cheeks. She nervously took a gulp from her own glass, allowing Sazh the freedom to speak. "I mean, I can't blame him for it, he's excited. Takes me back to the last time I was in love."

The young woman spluttered and choked on her drink in response to his outlandish claim. She quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth as she glared wide eyed at the older man in disbelief. She opened her mouth to deny his words but was cut short when Sazh spoke again.

"But what I don't understand is why you try to push it all away; as if you can just make those feelings disappear." Despite his outward inebriation, he spoke with both passion and wisdom. Lightning was rendered momentarily speechless. He took her silence as a sign to continue. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that life is too short. We've all got expiry dates, whether we're l'Cie or not. So, if you're lucky enough to find something in this life that you truly want; you best get out there and grab it with both hands, 'cause it ain't gonna wait around forever. You get what I'm saying?" He placed the flute down in the table and lent forward in his chair; placing both of his hands on his knees.

"I think so." Lightning replied, furrowing her brows a little as Sazh's words ran around in her mind. She allowed her eyes to fall back onto the forms of Snow and Hope as they continued to enthusiastically converse at the bar.

"Don't limit yourself, don't live in fear. 'Cause if you do, you might as well be dead." Sazh reached forward, placing a hand on Lightning's shoulder to emphasize his point. "I mean, we've fought so hard to be alive; we should cherish our freedom." The young woman nodded her head slowly in agreement, not allowing her eyes to leave the blonde man. The older man then turned back to reach for his glass. He lifted it to his lips as her followed Lightning's gaze to their friends at the bar.

"Sure, he has his flaws. I mean the guy is hardly what I'd call humble. He's cocky, arrogant, hot-headed, stubborn…"

"You forgot: a pain in the ass." Lightning added, her lips turned up in a small grin.

"True, but he's also dedicated, loving and loyal. I'd hate to admit it, but that son-of-a bitch _is _a hero. He's a good man, Lightning." The young woman managed to tear her eyes away from Snow, looking Sazh in the eye. His words were sincere and his warm smile was genuine. She took a deep breath, swigging back the last of her drink before replying.

"He is."

"Then go and tell him that; instead of wasting your time with a washed out old fella like me!" Sazh exclaimed, nearly falling out of his seat. The remainder of his champagne flew from the glass in his hand, spilling on the floor. His enthusiastic reaction caused Lightning to fend off a wide smile as it played its way across her features.

"Go!" The older man ordered, shooing her away as he aimlessly reached around for a napkin.

"Okay!" She replied as she quickly rose from her seat and began to walk towards the bar.

"And you can thank me later!" Sazh called after her; causing Lightning to cringe at his slurred words and the lack of subtlety in his outburst.

She swiftly moved her body around the intricate array of tables; excusing herself to the glamorously clad party guests as she brushed passed them. Her pale eyes were locked onto Snow's form as he remained at the bar. She witnessed Hope walk away from the him for an unknown reason as she got closer. Her heart was beating so heavily in her chest to the extent that she could feel her pulse in her ears; drowning out all of the background noise within the room. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her stomach turned, causing her to feel queasy. Snow's eye's eventually caught hers as he noticed Lightning approaching him. He instantly relaxed his facial expression, offering her his trademark grin.

"Hey"

"Let's go home." She ordered. Her palms had become uncharacteristically sweaty as she clenched her hands at either side of her hips. She moved closer to him, intruding his personal space as she adverted her gaze and licked her lips.

"Ah, Light, we just got he-" Snow was cut off abruptly as Lightning forced her lips against his. Her skilled fingers raked through his hair to drag his face down closer to her own. Her mouth claimed his with urgency and need as her lips moved in fluidity with his. She harshly cut the contact short and pulled away before reiterating her request, hoping that her impromptu kiss would be enough of a selling point.

"I want to go home, now…with you."

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><p>Snow's jacket had somehow found itself flung over Lightning's shoulders during their short trek home. The night wasn't particularly cold, but the young woman's dress didn't exactly cover much of her skin. They had hardly said two words to each other for the entirety of their journey through the quiet streets of Bodhum. Instead they would cast secret glances in each other's directions every so often; both anticipating and dreading what the night would bring to them.<p>

Their arrival at the Farron household brought yet more awkward exchanges. Lightning shuffled her feet as she walked into her living room, choosing to flick on the lamp as she reached down to unfasten the straps of her shoes. She carefully removed Snow's jacket from her shoulders and hooked it onto the coat rack beside the door. She quickly glanced up to see the brutish blonde man eyeing her from the doorway, his mouth displaying a boyish grin as he pulled his tie loose and lifted it over his head. Lightning couldn't fight her own smile as it played on her lips. She took a few moments to straighten herself and swallow her pride.

"I'm glad you're here." She finally admitted as she spoke in a low tone, her voice laden with sincerity.

"Me too." He quickly replied, matching her surprising show of honesty.

"Well, goodnight…" Snow casually kicked off his shoes before nonchalantly strolling towards Serah's bedroom. He failed to notice Lightning as she followed in tow. Her voice startled him as he neared the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" She tilted her head to the side as she pried inquisitively.

"I-I'm gon-"

"-My room is down the hall."

He didn't reply, taken aback by her blatantly. Instead he leant back into the door, surveying her figure from his vantage point. The sides of his mouth turned upwards in a smug grin. He liked this attitude, this sultry, cockiness was intoxicating, despite it being a little intimidating. Yet he could trust her enough, knowing that she was a strong willed woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

Lightning leaned back against the opposite wall, mirroring Snow's slouched stance. She let out a drawn out sign whilst reaching up to loosen her hair from it's complex up-do. She brushed out the peach coloured strands with her fingers allowing them to fall into their natural place over her left shoulder. She continued to hold a lock of hair in her hand, twirling the end of it around her index finger whilst allowing her eyes to move up and down Snow's physique. The sides of her mouth twitched into a coy smile as she grazed her bottom lip with her teeth. She reached out her hand and curled her fingers to beckon him closer.

"I'm done with living in fear." She whispered, her voice shaky in the silent, dense air that surrounded them. She wasn't sure if Snow had heard until he closed the distance between them. Without the slightest inclination of hesitation he forced her back into the wall she was leaning on. His mouth was hot on hers as his hands traced the lines of her body, causing the skin beneath the black lace of her dress to catch fire under his touch. A breathy moan escaped from Lightning's mouth as she dragged her fingers over Snow's back, pushing his body closer to hers. Her digits clawed at the flesh beneath his shirt, admiring the taut muscles that lay beneath.

Lightning pulled back from the kiss abruptly as she violently pushed Snow away from her. He stumbled back into the door that he had been previously leaning on. His eyes were wide with both confusion and dismay as he breathlessly glared back at her. _Not again! _Lightning's stare remained stoic and cold in the epitome of seriousness as she silently watched him. But after a few moments; her expression instantly relaxed as her lips curled into a wide smile.

She laughed.

It was possibly the most beautiful sound to have ever reached Snow's ears. Lightning then arched her back away from the rigid surface behind her and began to walk towards her own bedroom. She seductively sauntered down the hallway before stopping midway. She casually turned her head to gaze over her shoulder back at Snow; her hand twisting around to reach the zipper at the back of her dress. In one swift motion she tugged it down, allowing the lace to come apart and reveal the pale, unmarked flesh of her back. Lightning slacked her shoulders and allowed the dress to fall from her body and pool on the floor around her ankles. She turned back around to Snow, her eyelids where heavy and her breathing was short as she waited for him to follow her.

The bumbling man wasted no time in catching up to her as his hands were once again on her bare flesh. Lightning turned back to him; gripping tightly onto his arms as she dragged him into her room. Once inside the safe confines of her own abode, she felt her back come into contact with the stiff surface of her bedroom door. Snow's body was firm against her own as she was pushed back; his lips hot on hers once again. In another bout of violence, the young woman shoved him away from her. She immediately followed his footing into the centre of her room whilst her hands moved to his chest.

Her palms were shaky from the nerves; but still impatient and eager as she gave up on clumsily fumbling with the buttons of his dress shirt. Instead she yanked at the seams and ripped the fabric open. The sound of the discarded buttons scattering along the floor echoed through the room. However that sound was soon drowned out by heavy breathing. Lightning reached up to cup her hands around Snow's face, tenderly resting her forehead against his. His large hands trailed up from her hips to reach around her back and pull at the clasps of her bra. The quiet click that signalled Lightning's emancipation sent a jolt of excitement through her as the undergarment fell loosely from her shoulders. She held out her arms and allowed Snow to gently rid the bra from her body.

She exhaled a drawn out breath as his lips traced the skin of her chest, grazing that flesh that was once burdened with a l'Cie brand. Lightning's own wandering hands felt for the fastening of his pants as she forcefully tugged the material loose and pushed it down his legs. She then returned her hands to his chest, slowly pushing the pair of them back until the foot of Lightning's bed came into contact with the back of Snow's knees. He fell back awkwardly onto the mattress as Lightning approached him again. She stood momentarily between his legs, sucking in her breath when she felt his hands leaving burning tails along her skin again. His fingers slid to the hem of her underwear, briefly slipping under the elastic before tugging the fabric down passed her hips.

That was it, she had been freed. The last of her barriers had been stripped away along with the material of her underwear.

Lightning placed her hands gently on Snow's shoulders as she moved forward. She carefully lifted her knees up onto the bed to straddle his waist. She kept his undivided eye contact as she carefully lowered herself down onto him, taking him inside of her. A sharp gasped forced her mouth to open wide as she felt a slight pain from within. It took her a few moments to regulate her breathing as they both fell into a comfortable rhythm.

Snow's hands ran up across the skin of Lightning's back as he silently watched her, their eyes never breaking contact. A slick sweat had coated her skin, causing her blush coloured bangs to stick to her forehead. Her face was flustered and her lips still parted, allowing her to express little cries of pleasure every now and again. She was the most beautiful sight that he had ever laid his eyes on.

Their bodies continued to move together as Lightning reached forward, desperately seeking out the taste of Snow's lips as she wrapped both of her arms tightly around his neck. Her kisses were never tender or sweet. They were always heated and rough; a perfect parallel of her passionate nature and a taste that Snow would never tire of. She grazed his lips with her teeth before pulling away and quickening her jerky thrusts.

Snow gripped tightly at her hips, roughly caressing the flesh beneath his fingers. Feeling himself slowly begin to lose control as his pace began to quicken into uneven thrusts; he decided to win back the upper hand. In one swift movement of fluidity, he flipped Lightning over to lay on her back whilst he took a domineering position above her. She whimpered in response to his vigorous motion before reaching up to claw her hands through his hair, pulling him back down to her. Their lips clashed in an open mouthed kiss which was laden with gasps and moans. The pressure was building quickly with their cores, they were getting closer.

Lightning tightened her thighs around Snow's waist as she could feel herself teetering on the edge of her own climax. Each of his thrusts expelled a breathy moan from her lips as his pace quickened. She dragged her nails of one hand across the skin of his back whilst desperately clutching at the sheets beneath her with the other. Snow's lips dragged themselves away from hers and down to her jaw, coming to nestle at her pulse point. It took only a few seconds for Lightning's entire body to tense and her climax to run it's course. Her voice was hoarse as she cried out in ecstasy. She called out one word. His name.

It was enough for Snow to succumb to his own orgasm as he moaned into the skin of Lightning's neck and gripped her body tightly. He managed to complete a few more thrusts before collapsing onto her slight frame. He felt her place a few chaste kisses to his face before he rolled over to lie on his back; dragging her body along with his.

As the sweat cooled on their skin, leaving them with a slight chill, Lightning allowed Snow to wrap his arms around her, bringing her frame to be crushed against his own. Over their time together, she had carefully chipped away to discover the secret fractures of Snow Villiers; yet as they lay together in the warming afterglow, she felt no desire, or need to mend them. Just as she was sure that he couldn't heal the secret fractures of Claire Farron. They would allow themselves to have these shortcomings, knowing that perfection was unattainable. And they would always silently respect and love one another for their faults. Though Lightning's godforsaken pride would prevent her from ever admitting it; she needed Snow by her side.

He was a drunk, a martyr, a failure, a reject, a lover and a hero. But above all else…

Snow Villiers was a man.

A man that she didn't want to be without.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Thanks so much for reading my story, hopefully I'll be back soon!_

_xxxxx_


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